British troops hit by roadside bomb in Iraq

Basra (Iraq), Apr 5: A roadside bomb hit British forces in a Shi'ite militia stronghold in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today in what the British military described as a ''serious incident''.

British military spokesmen in Basra, the hub of Iraq's main oil fields, had no word on casualties.

One resident said he saw at least one armoured vehicle ablaze and a second one damaged. ''I saw some soldiers being taken away, but I don't know how many,'' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

British military spokeswoman Katie Brown said a roadside bomb hit British troops at 0200 hrs (0330 IST). She gave no further details. A second spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Stratford-Wright, confirmed only that there had been a ''serious incident'' during the night.

''Later today we will be putting out a more comprehensive statement,'' he said.

The incident took place in Hayaniya, a slum area on the northwestern outskirts of Basra that is a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

In mid-February, British troops clashed with gunmen armed with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades in the area, killing at least three gunmen.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in February Britain would begin withdrawing a quarter of its 7,000 troops, who are stationed mainly in and around Basra city in the coming months, paving the way for Iraqis to eventually take full control of Basra province.

The commander of British forces said last month the greatest obstacle to Iraqis taking control was the perception that it was lawless. This perception was fuelled by the high number of attacks on British troops, he said.

Reuters